Chapter 1 & 2 2005

I turned 12-years-old in 2005. I had just started 5th grade at Snail Lake Elementary School. I remember 2005 as a year filled with excitement. A sense of normalcy returned to my life as my parents finalized their divorce allowing for a consistant schedule for my brother and me. I was finishing my last year of elementary school with anticipation of my middle school years to come. But what happened in 2005 that was out of my control that made an impact on my life? The list of external factors that subconsciously influenced my life in 2005 is infinite. When reading the major events of 2005, memories quickly emerged.

Iraq:
In 2005 the invasion of Iraq escalated as more troops were being deployed and the death toll increased. I remember being in my 5th grade classroom as a kid in my class explained to me how this invasion will bring about another world war. Hearing this was a scary thought for a 12-year-old who had never experienced war. The image I had of what this war would become was a war zone in my backyard. Through-out the last five years I have gotten a better understanding of what war is, and how it affects people. I had no control over the invasion of Iraq or the impact it would have on me, or the people around me. I know people that have gone to Iraq and returned safely, but I also know people who haven't returned. Experiencing a soldier coming home and hugging his mother for the first time in over a year is a memory nobody could forget. The invasion of Iraq has definitely had a lasting impact on my life and those around me.

Hurricane Katrina:
In August of 2005, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I remember watching the news coverage in shock. People were floating on whatever they could find, homes were destroyed, people were stranded on roofs, and helicopters surrounded the city bringing relief. Hurricane Katrina was talked about everywhere from school to my family dinner table. All I could think about was wanting to help the people whose lives were ruined. I had no connections to anybody whose life was impacted by Katrina, and yet I wanted to help. This was the first time I felt such empathy towards complete strangers. The emotional need and desire to help others has been consistant in my life since I was 12. Five years later I am working on a nonprofit management minor. I hope one day I will have the resources to help people through life altering experiences like the victims of hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina wasn't the reason I want to work in the nonprofit sector, but that first taste of empathy impacted my goals for the future.

Myspace:
Social networking sites are a large source of communication today. My social networking career started in 2005 with the myspace boom. Myspace was started in 2003, but 2005 is when my peer group transitioned into cyber-communication. The increased popularity of Myspace through-out my peers and groups of friends influenced me to create a Myspace account and communicate differently. If nobody else had a Myspace account I wouldn't have made one myself. Social networking sites have evolved since the Myspace days. Now there is Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pintrest, and many more. I now have multiple social networking sites that I use to communicate. Communication through-out society has changed a lot because of social networking sites. The amount of face-to-face conversations has decreased significantly due to the popularity of social networking sites. The social influence and societal influence of social networking sites began, for me, with Myspace in 2005.